Hate List

By: Jennifer Brown

Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney

Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

For listeners of Marieke Nijkamp's This Is Where It Ends, a powerful and timely contemporary classic about the aftermath of a school shooting.

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. 

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends, and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life. 

Jennifer Brown's critically acclaimed novel now includes the bonus novella Say Something, another arresting Hate List story. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2010 Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (P)2014 Hachette Audio

Not a great audio production

Where does Hate List rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Not very high.

What did you like best about this story?

Its a great story. There are many good things about it. Kids are very curious about this topic.

How could the performance have been better?

The performance by the reader is very clipped. It sounds almost as if it is an automated voice. The voice of the main character Valerie sounds very immature for a contemporary high schooler.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I'm reading this book with a class of high school kids. They do not like the voice of the reader. She is described by the students as "annoying." They are however very engaged in the story itself.

I Didn't HATE It, But Not Super In Love With It...

If you could sum up Hate List in three words, what would they be?

I hate questions like "if you could sum this up in three words." I'm not a beauty pageant contestant, I don't think like that.
This book is about a girl in high school who's dealing with life after her boyfriend commits a school shooting then turns the gun on himself. Real-life scenario stuff. However, I was expecting some over-the-top issues to arise, unrealistic obstacles for her to overcome, ridiculously excessive hatred from her classmates. You know - drama!
Yeah, not with this book. Reading it was like literally sitting next to a real-life girl and listening to her talk to her therapist. The kids at school were wary of her but nothing dramatic. Her mom was worried about her but not freaky obsessed. She had problems but worked them out just like you or I would. She made friends with someone she used to be enemies with, but just casually. She found out she loved painting but... ~~YAWN~~
The book was interesting enough that I listened with mild attentiveness. The ending didn't affect me one way or the other. Whatever. I don't remember how much I paid for it, but if it was more than about $6 then I paid too much. Good heavens I hope I didn't use a credit on it...

Any additional comments?

Maybe I'm just too much of a Gossip Girl / Pretty Little Liars chick. You can narrate to me all day long about mundane daily life as long as it's chock full of overblown conflicts and outrageous solutions :D

Pretty good book.

It was a pretty good story, and one of the few I listened to on audiobook that made me cry. It was a very intense story where Valarie is stuck between moving on and living in the past of a school shooting she caused. my only gripe was the pacing of the story. I was shocked to realize the book took place after the shooting, and at first I really enjoyed living in the moment and flashing back to the past every time something in the present reminded Valarie of the shooting or of Nick. I also liked the news paper clipping inacurately describing something and then seeing what it was really like theough Valarie's eyes. But then there became a lot of back and forth, and some flashbacks would be a whole chapter, and it became just inconsistant enough that I'd ultimately wished the author just started the book at the start, or just before the shooting, and told the story chronologically.

Beautifully written.A tragic love story,and growth

A beautifully written story about a young girl facing the harsh reality that is bullying in high school. It tells how Valerie is able to over come her own nightmare when the realization that she is not alone after tragedy occurs possibly at her own hand.A must read!

Couldn't put it down

Be prepared for an emotional roller coaster and keep the tissue box close. Must Read!

amazing

absolutely loved it my favorite book of all time changed my outlook on life, moving

Outstanding

absolutley amazing story and performance. emotional and well told story that let's you grow with the main character.

Heart Wrenching!

This book was amazing. Had me on the edge of my seat waiting to know what happened. Pulled at my heart strings.

So So

The book was just so so for me. I really didn't like ANY of the characters. I can't understand why it's so highly rated, but to each his own. The main character, Valerie was just annoying. It didn't have me on the edge of my seat. It just wasn't that great of a read/listen for me. Unsure if I would ever read anything by this author again. The narrator was ok, not my favorite narrator.

Great Story

Hate list changed my life... It is a must read. An insight into a shooting.

thought provoking and heart breaking

This book was truly incredible albeit heartbreaking and emotional throughout. the authors writing of the main character and supporting characters are brilliant and really bring back those all encompassing emotions you feel at that age.

Respectful and insightful!

It's a wonderful first person account of the aftermath of an awful tragedy; one that is a horrible reality too many American teenagers.

The author's approach deals with the misguided judgement that we all partake in and experience and how we can make amends and repair ourselves when it doesn't seem possible. A great job.

Excellent YA!

This was an excellent book, well-written and beautifully read. If you don't believe Young Adult literature can be as good or better than adult fiction, listen to this one!
The author brings a sensitive and clever handling to telling the story of what happens in the aftermath of a school shooting, the damage that is done to lose left behind. That sounds like a depressing subject, but the book is life-affirming - as well as very topical.
Highly recommended!